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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24256687">who seeks the sun</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/qurbat/pseuds/qurbat'>qurbat</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Naruto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F, M/M, Post-Canon Fix-It, background arson for fun and profit, iruka-sensei is the best, mentions of canon compliant amputations, sasuke redemption arc redone, too much gardening</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 22:08:49</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>12,946</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24256687</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/qurbat/pseuds/qurbat</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A list of the three things Naruto wants: (1) the safety of those he loves, (2) the Hokage hat, and (3) Uchiha Sasuke. </p><p>A list of the three things Sasuke wants: (1) a sense of closure, (2) a little arson, as a treat, and (3) Uzumaki Naruto. </p><p>The story of how they make it work, in four acts; featuring annoying gremlin genin, a vegetable garden flourishing in a once-dead compound, and the seedy background whispers of a village-wide conspiracy.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Minor or Background Relationship(s), Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>44</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>316</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>who seeks the sun</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>for nav and ct, with special thanks to flor</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b> <em>4.</em> </b>
</p><p>
  <em> When Uzumaki Naruto fell unconscious in the Valley of the End - for the second and the last time - he did so without any knowledge of whether or not he would wake up.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Truth be told: he wouldn’t have minded it either way. His entire body hurt in one long continuous ache, overshadowing the sharp pain that would otherwise have emitted from the stump where his right hand used to be. He felt, at once, sun-warm and ice-cold, a complete state of chakra exhaustion from prolonged fights with one Uchiha after another. His head was quiet after so, so long - likely, Kurama had gotten tired of their drama and gone back to sleep.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> He stared at the sky the best he could from his swollen eyes, taking in the pinking clouds floating amidst shadows of orange and dark blue, a sign of the day that had passed and the night that would come. Here, a bird flew, so high that he could only see it as a dark spot in the sky. His ears had grown accustomed to the sound of the water - now he could hear other things; the rustling wind which was beginning to pick up, the odd rock from here and there, which crumbled and fell onto the ground.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Sasuke’s voice, beside him. Sasuke’s odd laugh. Sasuke’s breaths, shaking and loud.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Once, he used to hear that noise every day, after long, warm mornings of training. On the days they didn’t have missions, sometimes Sasuke would show up on his door and sometimes he would go to Sasuke’s. They would drag each other out to the fields, chase each other across the village, otherwise try to beat the snot out of each other as much as possible. At the end of it all, just like this, they would collapse on the ground, panting and laughing, and stare at the sky until the bursting rhythm of their hearts calmed down enough to eat. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> On the grounds of the Valley of the End, surrounded by the crumbling statues of what used to be; one hand smeared into a bloody pulp, both eyes swollen to oblivion -  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> -  here on the ground where, so long ago, they had said farewell in the rain, destroyed each other’s hearts and caused each other more pain than some stupid missing arm could hope to match to - </em>
</p><p>
  <em> - Uzumaki Naruto breathed. He laughed out loud, the sound escaping his throat in a wheeze and mingling with the crashing noise of the waterfall. Next to him, he could feel Sasuke startle - just as he used to back when they were genin and Naruto would recover from his daily fifteen-zero losses to bug Sasuke into treating him to lunch.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Oi,” he spoke, barely audible, “are you finally losing it now of all times?” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Shut up, bastard,” the reply was almost a reflex. Naruto breathed in, once, then twice, inhaling the scent of blood and petrichor and aching with every breath. He tracked the bird flying above them with idle eyes. “It’s just...good. To be back.” </em>
</p><p><em> He could actually </em> <b> <em>hear </em> </b> <em> Sasuke’s eyebrow raise, that fucker. Could hear his stupid voice snark at him. ‘Good to be in pieces?’ </em></p><p>
  <em> “Shut up,” he drawled back in response to the unspoken commentary. “God I can’t stand you.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Hn,” he sounded amused, that asshole, “good thing you’re lying down then.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Stick to the ninja stuff, bastard,” Naruto advised, “it’s too late to get into comedy.” </em>
</p><p><em> Sasuke huffed a laugh, a quiet burst of laughter that made Naruto’s heart </em> <b> <em>ache. </em> </b> <em> He always sounded like that, like his emotions were too sacred to be heard by mere mortals, right up until Naruto got under his skin and made him howl with laughter when he fell down head-first off a tree doing chakra exercises, made him shriek with indignation and rage when he dragged Sasuke with him. For some reason, even with all the grudges he held against Sasuke back then, Naruto loved making him sound like that. Loved knowing that he had the power to chase away the emptiness that would build up in those eyes and replace it with something more human. </em></p><p>
  <em> After some quiet minutes, Sasuke broached the silence they had fallen into. In his mind, Naruto counted this as another victory - if the Sasuke of the past could see himself now, breaking the quiet to make conversation with Uzumaki Naruto, loudmouth extraordinaire, he’d probably toss himself off a cliff.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “What if…” his voice faltered. “Tch. Never mind.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Naruto’s vision swam in and out in flickers of light and darkness. His head throbbed with a dull ache. Still, he persisted. “What? What is it? Don’t be stingy now asshole, this is the time to get the gross sobbing heart-to-heart over with. Quick, before Sakura-chan finds us!” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “How the fuck do you still have this much energy,” Sasuke wondered at the sky. “How can you continue to be such a menace.”  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Heh,” Naruto replied back, eyes glued to the same cloud. “Speak for yourself. I’m a fucking delight.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> The past few months have been a whirlwind - battle after battle, war after war, enemy after enemy. Naruto has run across the continent, has been pulled hither and thither until it felt like he was going to rip apart at the seams. He hasn’t slept in his bed for so long that he’s forgotten what it looks like. He hoped that Mr Ukki and the others were doing well - he had to leave them with Ayame when they were but new seedlings that were just beginning to bud after the older plants got destroyed in Nagato’s attack. He hoped Ayame hadn't watered them too much, the mistake he made when he first started growing plants. He hoped that she spoke to them, encouraging them to grow strong just as he used to do - they always liked it when he did that. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “-ruto. Hey, Naruto!” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> He groaned as the loud noise cut through the pleasant buzz that he had fallen into. “What is it?” he whined, “I was just about to take a nap.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> As if from a distance, he could hear Sasuke’s voice, vaguely alarmed at the edges. “That’s the problem, idiot. Hey, come on, lazy-bones, don’t pass out yet…” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> But here’s the thing: even though he’s so far from home, so weak and vulnerable, Naruto couldn’t deny the sense of safety he felt at the moment. Oh, maybe safety wasn’t the best word. He’s….content. Yeah, that’s it. Content, here, with Sasuke by his side. Just like it should be.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> ‘Now if only Sakura-chan and Kaka-sensei were here,’ he thought. ‘Then we’d have the whole gang back together.’ </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Before Uzumaki Naruto, Hero of the Shinobi Lands, Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi, Most Unpredictable Ninja Ever, could finally fulfill his age old practice of ignoring what Sasuke tells him to do and passing out, before Sasuke could brain him with the small piece of rock he had found on the ground nearby, Naruto saw, as if through a fog, a shock of pink heading towards him.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Naruto! Sasuke!” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Oh,” he said weakly, feeling the blood loss and general exhaustion finally beginning to settle down on every particle of his being, “Sakura-chan.” The Old Sage must have spiked him with some magic wish granting jutsu. Cool! </em>
</p><p>
  <em> With that last thought in mind, Uzumaki Naruto made one last wish and, despite the disagreement of literally everyone else near him, settled in for a well-deserved nap. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>i.</b>
</p><p>By the time Naruto woke up for the day, the sun was already well on its way through it’s regular rounds in the sky. He groaned, turning around and squawking indignantly as he got trapped in the sheets, hands flailing as he tried to delay the inevitable fall onto the floor. </p><p>
  <em> WHAM! </em>
</p><p>Well. Some things even he, destroyer of fates, breaker of cycles, could not prevent. </p><p>He laid on the ground, face smashed against the floor and burning with whatever embarrassment his body could produce this early in the morning. Closing his eyes, he waited for the inevitable outburst of laughter when his companion spotted him like this. </p><p>Nothing. </p><p>With squinting eyes, he turned to look at the clock. Ahhh, it was nearly noon - Sasuke <em> did </em>say that he was going to be gone for most of the day. But nearly noon was no time to just be sitting around thinking of these things - especially if he wanted to take advantage of a Sasuke-free day to take care of his projects. </p><p>Groaning, he pushed himself up from the floor, wrinkling his nose as he felt yesterday’s grime on his skin, both Sasuke and himself being too tired to clean up before they went to sleep. A quick glance at the clock again had him sighing, clutching the side of the bed to stand up. He stretched, a quick movement from his toes to the tips of his fingers, and let out a moan of satisfaction as he felt the pleasant ache of his joints coming to life again. </p><p>A paper on the bedside table caught his eye, it’s edges peeking out under Mr Ukki the Third. He nearly stumbled on the blankets on the floor in his haste to reach it, grabbing onto the wooden counter at the last second. <em> Geez, </em>what was up with him today? If Sasuke had been here to see him flailing around like some newborn deer, he would have already finished his laughter quota for the week.</p><p>Ahh, whatever. Sasuke wasn’t here - he had only left this note behind. Even after so many years, Naruto could not deny the small spike of anxiety that stabbed him when he woke up to an empty house or an empty bed, the nagging feeling of <em>what if</em>s and <em>maybe</em>s crowding his heart until he felt like choking. They both had their fears of loss, nightmares of loneliness that had proven true over and over again. But after so long, they had learned to live with each other: after this much pain, this much struggle, after all their mistakes…well. </p><p>Whatever Kaka-sensei had to say about them (“You both were actually responsible for all my white hairs.” “Sensei, your hair is literally <em> grey. </em> It’s always been grey. <em> ” </em>“Did I ask?”), he would never say that they didn’t learn. </p><p><em> Good morning loser, </em> the note read, <em> or should I say good afternoon? </em></p><p>What an asshole. </p><p><em> Karin sent a bird to make sure I wasn’t ditching them, so I left a little bit earlier than planned </em> (Sorry for leaving you without a goodbye.) <em> We have leftovers in the fridge, so don’t poison yourself </em> ( <em> What </em> an ass, just because Naruto tried to bring <em> some </em> creativity into this household...) <em> Don’t forget, you have to drop by Yakamana’s shop today </em> (Hurr-durr look at me, I’m so scary and introverted, I’ll never call my drinking buddies by their given names even if they have to drag my lightweight ass home every other week.) <em> Also, if your little demons show up, tell them to stay </em> <b> <em>away </em> </b> <em> from the miso. It still needs more time to ferment, and I’m tired of coming home to find half-empty containers </em> (ok (1) Naruto’s amazing students were <em> not </em> demons, regardless of what Kurama said and (2) just because <em> he </em>liked his miso as salty as the sea….what an inconsiderate housemate.) </p><p><em> I know that I’m the brains in this relationship, but even you can’t do any massive fuck-ups on an off-day </em> (Stay safe.) <em> If somehow I come back to the village in flames, I’m going to laugh in your face. </em> (I’ll see you soon.) <em> I’ll be back in time for dinner, so don’t send out the rescue team until then </em>(Don’t worry about me.) </p><p><em> Yours </em> (I love you) <em> , </em></p><p>
  <em> Sasuke </em>
</p><p>“Jackass,” Naruto murmured. What an emotionally constipated jackass. <em> God, </em> just...what an asshole. Why did Naruto like him again? But no amount of insults, verbal or internal, could stop the grin that was building up on his face, stretching his scarred cheeks until they gave a jolt. Kurama grumbled inside him, no doubt feeling that ‘ <em> disgusting soft mushy feeling’ </em>seep right through his sleep and into his morning dreams of death and terror or whatever century old demon foxes usually dreamed of.</p><p>It was a warm summer afternoon, so unlike the usual humidity which perforated the village this time of the year. Instead, a thin sheet of clouds floated above, covering the land in dotted shadows here and there. A cool wind breeze blew, with just enough chill to stop the sun from becoming overpowering. In its wake, it left behind a rustling of leaves. The plants on the window waved as though greeting him.</p><p>The letter in his hand lit on fire with a practiced flick of chakra. Naruto watched it burn on the palm of his hand and breathed in the smoke, imagining Sasuke’s words, taking root inside of him. It was such a shame to always have to burn these letters but ah, they all needed to do what was necessary. Regardless, it was, Naruto reflected, a good day to get to work.</p><p>“Alright!” he crowed, voice hoarse from a deep night’s sleep. “Let’s do this! <em> Kage Bushin no Jutsu!” </em></p><p>The shadow clone that popped up looked frankly harried from the beginning. It saw the look on Naruto’s face and immediately let out a groan of anguish. <em> “Again?” </em></p><p>The scoff that Naruto let out was frankly merciless. “Having an Uchiha for a boyfriend is a full time job, you know? Now,” his eyes narrowed, “get to it.”</p><p>The clone sighed loud enough to wake the dead. “Why do <em> I </em>always get the stinky boring jobs?” he complained, even as his hand settled into a familiar sign.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b> <em>3.</em> </b>
</p><p>
  <em> Later, Sakura will tell him that he didn’t wake up for nearly two weeks, even when she and Ino snuck into his hospital room completely plastered after visiting hours and waved an enormous bowl of freshly made ramen, extra pork and all, right under his nose. They ate it in his room while crying gross tears later that night when he didn’t make a single sign of awakening. “And then,” Sakura cut off, a bright blush making its way known across her face.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Naruto gasped from where he was sitting on the hospital bed. “Sakura-chan!” he spoke, scandalized, “not right next to my unconscious body!” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Sakura blushed brighter still, “Oh shut up. If you didn’t wake from the food you were knocked out straight. Besides!” she continued, her tone becoming defensive, “it’s not like we did anything too terrible! Oh, stop looking at me like that, Naruto.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Naruto couldn’t stop it, the smile that was stretching across his face. “Well,” he pushed, “how was it?” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Sakura’s blush intensified. Her eyes turned hazy, as if she was recalling the exact moment, the exact feeling. “It was….something alright. More wet than I thought it would be.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Naruto made a face in mock-tease. “Ooooh mwah-mwah-mwah, Sakura-chan got her first kissy,” he mimed the motion of a fish, loud and exaggerated, and delighted in the laughter it produced. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Calm down, playboy,” Sakura chided. “Not all of us can be so young and precocious for our awakening.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Now it was Naruto’s turn to blush, just as he had but a few weeks ago when Kurama had reminded him of the same thing. “You guys are so mean,” he whined. “Why do I have to keep reliving all my mistakes?” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Sakura watched him with a smile on her face. Her eyes were filled with contentment when she suddenly sat up from her chair and approached the bed, nudging Naruto’s side. “Scoot over.”  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> They squeezed into the bed through some means, Sakura sitting behind Naruto, leaning on the wall. Naruto tilted to lean on her side, felt her rest her head on his, and took deep, clean breaths. Sakura smelled clean, like sweet pea and fresh laundry. It was such a welcome break from the constant stench of antiseptic which had surrounded him since he woke up that Naruto couldn’t help but inhale it deeply.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Are you sniffing me? Weirdo.” Sakura’s body shook with gentle laughter. Pressed this close together, Naruto could feel every vibration.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “But Sakura-chan, this place is stinkyyyy,” he replied back, “and I didn’t even get to smell the ramen you got me! That was so mean by the way.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Sakura chuckled and and sneaked in an arm behind his shoulders, pulling him closer. “I missed you,” she admitted in a small voice. “You really had all of us worried, you asshole.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Naruto sunk into her embrace, entirely secure in her hold. “Sorry,” he muttered. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Sakura let out a tch, coming forward to gently butt her head against his. “No one is going to ask you to apologize for being unconscious, idiot.” Her other hand had idly begun to rub against his shoulder in circles, never going near the bandages wrapped around the stump which once housed his arm. “What took you so long anyway? Kurama not coughing up as usual?” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Naruto could hear the unspoken questions, but chose to overlook them for now. “Nothing of that sort. It’s just….even though we adapted to each other so much, I’m still in a mortal body, y’know? Only so much of that demon juice I can handle before I go bananas.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Sakura huffed a laugh, her breath brushing against his hair. “Demon juice. Honestly.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “What, it’s a good way of putting it!” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> One of Sakura’s hands came to rest on his head, beginning a gentle run through matted hair. “So, you’re better now?” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Naruto closed his eyes and leaned into the touch. “Yeah.” </em>
</p><p><em> If someone had told him back when he was a child that he would be this close, this familiar, this friendly with </em> <b> <em>the </em> </b> <em> Haruno Sakura, he would have cried for joy. But he was no longer that snot-nosed brat who thought that he could win people over by just words, no matter what Kaka-sensei said.  </em></p><p><em>Sakura was</em> <em>his home, his shelter, a steady shade in the desert, just as he was hers. No one else could understand what they had gone through together, the trials of fire that had locked their bonds in steel. For both of them, that was ok. </em></p><p>
  <em> Sakura’s hand came to rest on the stump of his right hand. Naruto tensed.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “So,” she began, slow and steady, “what’s up with this thing, huh?” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Oh, so they were finally beginning to talk about the elephants in the room, were they? </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Up with it?” Even to his own ears, Naruto’s voice sounded incredibly stupid. He never did have any talent with lies, after all. “Come on, Sakura-chan. My arm exploded into itty-bitty pieces! There are limits to what even Kurama can do; he’s not a miracle worker, y’know?” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “You know that’s not what this is about, Naruto.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Naruto remained tense, still. How could he even begin to talk about what occured at the valley? </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “How is Sasuke?”  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> This was the first question he had asked when he woke up. Back then, Sakura had chosen to ignore him, too insistent on giving him water and finally conducting a thorough check-up, alongside informing everyone else of his awakening. Now that they were finally alone, with only the dying rays of the sun filtering into the room, she finally gave in. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “...He’s awake. Woke up nearly a week ago.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Naruto bit his lip. “Is he doing ok?” Do I need to already conduct a jailbreak? </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Sakura snorted. “He’s just as miserable as you are, it’s actually kinda funny.” No, you’re safe for now. “You know Sasuke, he’s a huge crybaby whiner.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Naruto let out a sigh of relief. “Oh good, so he has enough energy to be a bastard to people. I was worried...not all of us have giant demon foxes pulling us through insane injuries, and I kinda beat his ass up pretty bad back there…” </em>
</p><p><em> Sakura rolled her eyes. “Oh, so </em> <b> <em>now </em> </b> <em> you’re worried about this sort of stuff. Not when you’re actually beating the snot out of each other right after we spent weeks in a war defeating the most powerful entity in the world. Got it.” </em></p><p>
  <em> Naruto frowned. “Are you saying that I don’t think about stuff before I jump into it? Because I resent that.” The twitch of his lips gave away the laughter he was choking inside. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Sakura laughed. “Whatever you say, brainiac,” she responded, not the slightest bit unkind.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Naruto inhaled, wincing reflexively at the pain the deep breath solicited in his still bruised rib-cage. “Ok though, seriously. How’s it going?” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Waiting for Sakura to answer felt like an eternity. “It could be much worse, honestly. I mean, he’s still under lock and key but….he did help us fight the war. We couldn’t have won without him. There’s a sort of immunity that comes with that, especially right now when everyone’s trying to rebuild fresh off of it.” She paused, felt her teammate relax in her arms. She couldn’t stop herself from adding, “Besides, they know that if they actually did anything to him, you’d show up at their front door with your gross-sobbing and that would start another war.” And this time, Gaara would actually crush them all for making Naruto cry and she wouldn’t do anything to stop him.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Good,” Naruto breathed out. “That’s….good.” Barely a second’s pause before - “When can I go and see him?” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Sakura looked to the ceiling and prayed for patience. She hoped Kakashi-sensei was faring better in Sasuke’s room, and wondered which one of them had gotten the shorter end of the “babysitting-extremely-codependent-partners-or-something-like-that” stick. Even without the pressure from the Elders to see Sasuke tried for his crimes against the village, they had all thought that the two would like some space, given that their last interaction had seen them blasting each other’s hands off, that they would have preferred and needed a single moment of quiet. All things considered….they really should have known better. As if they could have each other in such a close vicinity and focus on literally anything else. <br/></em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Tell you what, Naruto,” she said, “when you can start walking twenty steps around the room without your legs wobbling like jelly at every step again, I’ll carry you to Sasuke myself.”  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Naruto’s returning look at that, all burning fire and intense determination, should have terrified her. Thankfully, desensitization to insane things was an important part of being a medic. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>ii.</b>
</p><p>Naruto had first visited the Yamanaka flower shop some time after his return to the village from those three years on the road. He had known of its existence before, of course, but knew better than to venture openly into the area of the village where it was located. </p><p>Before he left, he had given his plants to Shikamaru, too attached to them to see them die. Shikamaru, being himself, had naturally shifted them off to Ino the first chance he got. When Naruto first ducked under the door and entered the shop to retrieve them, his first thought had been <em> this place smells amazing.  </em></p><p>It’s a feeling that hadn’t changed until this day.</p><p>“Good afternoon, Ino-chan!”</p><p>Ino swung around from where she was crouched down to tend to a wilting osmanthus. Her lips widened in a smile when she saw her guest.</p><p>“Naruto!” </p><p>She hurriedly took off her gloves and placed them on the table counter with the scissors. Walking to thump her first against his shoulder, she settled for the much more moderate nod at the man who had walked in with him. “Sasuke.”</p><p>Ever the charmer, Sasuke coolly nodded back before going back to once again looking at the chrysanthemum’s hanging overhead. Ino looked at him for another second, eyes going fox-narrow for a short moment, before turning to Naruto with a grin on her face once again. </p><p>“You’re late,” she said. “I was nearly beginning to think that you made me wait here on my off day only to stand me up.”</p><p>“Hey,” Naruto protested, “I’m not that bad! At any rate, you know how much I value your off time. You and Sakura-chan both work so hard.”</p><p>It was true; as the respective heads of the hospital and the mind-healing branch, both Sakura and Ino were running themselves ragged more often than not. What little time they had off, they preferred to spend in each other’s company - when they could at any rate. </p><p>“Sakura-chan’s still on-call?” Naruto asked.</p><p>“Oh yeah, you know her,” Ino waved a hand, exasperated, “absolute workaholic freak. She should have been out an hour ago but then some jounin nearly fried themselves trying to test out a <em> raiton </em>technique so now she’s back in again.”</p><p>Naruto frowned. “Leaving you alone to rot like this? That’s mean.”</p><p>Ino snorted, gesturing at the still figure at his back, still observing the flowers which lined the ceiling above them. “As if you’re one to talk.”</p><p>Naruto tensed for a split-second as Sasuke <em> jerked </em>at where he was standing behind him, as if jolted with electricity. They both looked at each other before coming to some understanding. He walked further into the shop, pushing past Ino and Naruto with a scowl. Naruto watched him go, looking at his back with a contemplative look in his eye.</p><p>“You know our situations aren’t exactly the same,” he told Ino. “There are actually some pretty big differences between them.”</p><p>Ino waved her hand, “Yes, yes, I know. Tale of eternal woe, having to deal with Uchiha angst, inter-village politics, etc, etc.” She frowned. “I can’t imagine how insane you guys would be if you decided to directly go with the council’s plan instead of working for the long-term thing.”</p><p>Naruto shivered. “Ugh, I don’t want to think about it.” </p><p>The council’s offer to work in the Hokage tower, have a direct and open path to the seat, was more than had ever been offered to someone as young as Naruto, even if he <em> was </em>considered a war hero. If he had taken it, there was no doubt that he would have gained so much - the opportunity to avoid the bureaucratic nightmare that was the jounin system for one. But still, this he maintained: if he had taken that path….there’s no telling what he would have lost.</p><p>Sasuke, for one. Sasuke, who despite his grand declarations of wanting to become Hokage at the final battlefield, still trembled that the very idea of setting foot back into the village which had taken so much from him. If he had chosen to charge ahead, would Sasuke have accompanied him on that road? Would he have been able to find his genin, his tiny little genin, Ryuko, Jirou, Itsuka, each so terrible and so precious to him? </p><p>Probably not. No, definitely not. So, even though it’s a long and tedious climb up, waking up to cold beds and getting pranked by terrible twelve year olds, Naruto couldn’t really bring himself to regret the decision he had taken at the end - to take the long path. Get lost a little bit on the road to life. Walk by Sasuke, instead of constantly running after him, hoping against hope that this time, he would stay.</p><p>Ino’s voice cut in on his reflections. “So,” her eyes flickered to where Sasuke was standing, now staring at the wall of garden tools with a frown on his face, “how is the husband?” Her voice dipped low. </p><p>“Fine, as you see,” Naruto snorted, dipping his head towards Sasuke, who hadn’t looked away from the trovels to even notice they were talking about him. “An involved parent, you know? Constantly looking for ways to help our kids grow.”</p><p>Ino barked a laugh. “One day, you’re going to call those plants your children in front of Iruka-sensei’s eyes and then <em> you </em>will have to foot the hospital bill for the stress-induced heart attack he has at that point.”</p><p>“I would never do that to Iruka-sensei,” Naruto protested. “Now, Kaka-sensei on the other hand…”</p><p>Ino shook her head, entirely used to his antics after so many years of friendship. “Ok, but real talk,” she leaned in closer, “everything ok? I’ve heard that Sasuke’s been on some….cleaning rampage.”</p><p>Naruto let his eyes go towards Sasuke and back. He weighed the words before he spoke them. “Oh, you know. There’s always a lot of trash to clean out and Sasuke always was the clean-freak…”</p><p>“Just because <em> you </em>are content to live in a pig-sty,” Sasuke blithely commented.</p><p>They had this song and dance down to a pat. “I’ll show you a pig you stupid shovel-faced bastard.”</p><p>“Boys, boys,” Ino cut in, “leave the foreplay at home please.” She smothered a laugh at the identical face of disgust they both made. “Now, weren’t you here to pick up the new bags of fertilizer?”</p><p>Naruto perked up. “Oh yeah, that and the new support cages you were talking about. Sasuke kept insisting that we should just make a new support for the vines with tripwire which is just - ridiculous.”</p><p>“Very Sasuke,” Ino commented mildly. </p><p>Sasuke flipped her off. </p><p>“Alright, alright,” Ino rolled her eyes, “No need to be <em> rude. </em> I’ve retired from the shop, but just for our favorite customers, I <em> suppose </em>I can remember where the usual things are.”</p><p> </p><p>
  <b> <em>2.</em> </b>
</p><p>
  <em> In the end, Naruto ends up being away from Sasuke for far longer than he desires. This is true as a general statement - it seems like all their lives, the one constant they’ve had is distance, whether forced or self-enforced. But it feels stranger this time - deeper and all the more urgent.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> How do people expect him to just sit and wait while Sasuke is right there, a few floors below? </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “I don’t need alone time,” Naruto insisted.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Iruka-sensei raised an eyebrow. “Don’t you?” he retorted, coming up to the plant near Naruto’s window and tilting the cup of water over it gently. “Naruto, when was the last time you just had time to yourself - to just breathe and think and process everything you’ve gone through?” </em>
</p><p><em> Ok, just because he was making </em> <b> <em>sense </em> </b> <em> didn’t mean Naruto had to like what he was saying. Naruto pouted. “No fair Iruka-sensei. I don’t </em> <b> <em>think, </em> </b> <em> I thought everyone knew that by now.” </em></p><p>
  <em> Iruka-sensei laughed, that loud, delighted, belly-up laugh that Naruto loved so much. If he thought about it, he was surrounded by people who would muffle their laughter around him - Kaka-sensei, Shikamaru, Gaara, Sasuke. It made their laughter all the more precious, of course, made Naruto cherish the few times he had been able to make them happy the way he wanted to. But still, there was something soothing about being in the presence of Sakura-chan or Iruka-sensei - he never had to doubt how they felt around him.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Well, maybe now’s a good time to start,” Iruka-sensei said. All the plants in the room done, he set down the cup on the bedside table and came to sit on the chair right next to Naruto’s bed. “So, what’re you going to do from here on?” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Naruto stared at the other as though he had grown three heads. “‘Ruka-sensei,” he began, completely serious, “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Iruka-sensei looked at him for a while, searching for something that he did not name. After a while, he said, “I went to see Sasuke yesterday.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Naruto froze.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Iruka-sensei smiled at the way his eyes widened. Naruto could fight as many monsters as he needed to, gather as many accolades as he desired to, but in the end, the Number One Unpredictable Ninja was still the little boy who Iruka had watched grow up, who’s every word - screamed, shouted or unspoken - he had learned to understand and who’s every expression he knew how to read.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “He was healing well,” he continued.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Naruto leaned towards him. “Did he say anything? Is everyone treating him ok?” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Iruka-sensei sighed. “Yes, yes, he’s being treated relatively well. Still under a guard though - the Raikage knows how to bear a grudge and despite Sasuke’s aid, other people are also...wary. But don’t worry,” he assured Naruto, seeing that he was about to erupt in indignation. “No one will do anything against him - and even if they did, he’s still powerful enough to defend himself.” Besides, to outright attack Sasuke, one of the most powerful entities in the shinobi world, would be to anger Naruto, arguably the most powerful entity in the shinobi. Even the most rash amongst them knew to do otherwise. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>  Iruka-sensei frowned, “He seemed….very much like the little genin who refused to say a word in the Academy. And, at the same time, entirely different.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Naruto huffed a laugh. “Yeah, the bastard has gotten even weirder than before.”  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Iruka laughed along with him before quietening down. He looked at Naruto, reaching to tangle the edges of the bedsheet between his fingers. “No matter how weird he’s become...you still understand him, don’t you, Naruto?” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> The younger’s chest seemed to puff up with pride. “Of course! That’s my biggest achievement - it took years and years of more work that I should have put in, but you are looking at the best bastard translator in all the shinobi nations!” </em>
</p><p><em> His biggest achievement….This boy had created multiple S-rank techniques, befriended a bijuu, brought together all five major villages united in a singular cause, beaten multiple legendary shinobi </em> <b> <em>and </em> </b> <em> the source of their origin - and </em> <b> <em>this </em> </b> <em> was his biggest achievement? Iruka wanted to laugh until he cried. </em></p><p>
  <em> “Ok official bastard translator,” he said instead, “you have any idea what Sasuke wants to do after this?” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Ah. Well. Wasn’t that the million ryo question. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “He lost,” Naruto began, slow, uncertain. “He admitted it - he said that he lost our final match himself.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Alright,” Iruka-sensei continued, ever the patient instructor, “and what does that mean? To the both of you?” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “It means he’ll listen to me now,” of this much, Naruto was certain. “He won’t shut me out anymore. He won’t try to sever our bonds.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Iruka closed his eyes and took deep breaths. Naruto and Sasuke always had been like this - so obvious yet completely incomprehensible to the people surrounding them. “Once again, Naruto, what does that mean? Is he going to come home?” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> In reality, it had only been a few years since Iruka last saw Sasuke - but seeing him again now felt like an entire lifetime had passed. He had little idea of what Sasuke’s journey had looked like, of all the twists and turns which brought him to rest so close to them now. What was home for Sasuke anymore? Konoha - the place he had sworn to first destroy and then protect - the village which had taken everything from him and had given him Naruto in return? Was it someplace else, someplace which had given him a moment’s quiet in the midst of the screaming world? Or, he thought, eyes flickering to the blonde on the bed before him, was it Naruto? Just as it had been so many years ago? </em>
</p><p>
  <em> For his part, Naruto looked out the window, his face a mass of knotted emotions which were only recognizable through the tension in his brow. Iruka waited for his answer, just as he had always had when he asked Naruto a hard question. Finally, Naruto wetted his lips and spoke, voice strangely empty, “I don’t know.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> It had been many years since he had heard that response - indeed many years since he was able to ask Naruto such questions. The thing at stake was much more complicated than a chakra control technique or a simple taijustu combination, but he replied as he always had when Naruto gave him such answers. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Take your time. You’ll figure it out.” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>iii.</b>
</p><p>Eventually, the both of them had chosen to settle in the Uchiha district. Naruto knew it was painful for Sasuke sometimes, to awaken and remember the voices of his family, see their ghosts walking the halls. Perhaps it was even more so now than it had been before when Sasuke could see his brother’s ghost and not turn away - now that all the anger which used to sit in his bones had melted away to unmentionable sorrow and grief. </p><p>But this was good enough. Far away from the village that Sasuke could breathe, could spend his hours in quiet contemplation. Close enough that Naruto could still see the people he had spent so long building precious bonds with, could invite them over and fill the halls - silent for decades - with cheer and laughter. A compromise, after so long. </p><p>The best part for Naruto, of course, was the garden. </p><p>It was a large patch of soil a little ways away from a small pond where catfish and trout were found in abundance. Where once a large river had connected the pond to other water systems in the village, there was now only a small brook, trickling just enough water to keep the pond flush with life. The resulting soil was ingrained with silt and sediment, providing ample opportunity for new life to take root. </p><p><em> “Mother loved this land,” </em> Sasuke had said in their first week of residence, voice soft in a way that it only was when he spoke of her. <em> “She wanted to plant things here - potatoes and peas in the winter. Melons and tomatoes in the summers.” </em>Then, he had fallen silent and refused to speak for the rest of the night.</p><p>The very next day, Naruto had scoured the land, using the meagre tools he had salvaged in the move from his overcrowded apartment and gotten down to business. It had been hard work, even with the favorable conditions, but in the end it was all worth it. Even if he <em> had </em>to deal with pests every now and then. </p><p>“Naruto-sensei! Naruto-sensei! We’re here to help!”</p><p>Sakura’s voice emerged in his head. <em> Close your eyes, Naruto. Count to ten, Naruto. Do </em> <b> <em>not </em> </b> <em> punt your genin into the pond, Naruto. </em></p><p>He looked at the stem which he had accidentally cut off in his surprise, putting down the pruning scissors and taking a deep breath. He turned around to meet three pairs of eyes, bright and bushy-tailed, and felt all the previous annoyance in his heart melt like sugar. Really, how had Kaka-sensei ever been that mean to them if they looked like this? <em> Then again, </em> he thought, looking over his charges, <em> we were kinda much bigger shitheads.  </em></p><p>Itsuka was the one who stepped forward, always eager to get her hands in the dirt. She had been the most excited when Naruto told them about his new gardening adventures - so completely unlike the reserved and quiet Hyuuga who had barely spoken a word back in their first team introduction. “Sensei, sensei, are we going to be harvesting from the vines today?”</p><p>Naruto laughed, standing up to face them. His hands came to rest on his hips, smearing a day’s worth of mud and dirt on his gardening pants, joining the brown patch that had formed back when he had knelt to prune the overgrown vines. “Harvest?” he echoed. “All that harvesting stuff is Sasuke’s business, and his turn with you lot is next week. We have to <em> grow </em>them in the first place.”</p><p>As one, the three genin groaned. Ryuko began to turn away. “Ok guys, you’ve obviously got this one so I’m gonna - ACK!”</p><p>Jirou calmly gripped Ryuko by the neck and turned her to face Naruto again. Behind his glasses, the evil little brat’s eyes <em> glinted. </em>“What do you get if we stay here and help you with this?”</p><p>Naruto raised an eyebrow and wondered if he should tell them that they didn’t need to stay at all. He was only going to be loosening the soil and repotting some of his larger plants there - and even if he did need a hand, he had plenty of shadow clones to spare. From the depths of his mind, Kurama let out a lazy amused grumble. <em> Let the brats have some fun.  </em></p><p>Hah! Softie.</p><p>
  <em> I’m going to eat you.  </em>
</p><p>“My undying love and affection?” he tried. </p><p>Jirou looked unimpressed. </p><p>Naruto fought a losing battle against the bubble of joy which threatened to stretch his lips into a smile and ruin the Very Serious Negotiation they were having. “I have left over cherry tomatoes from last week’s harvest,” he offered, very generously in his opinion. </p><p>Jirou seemed to understand the magnitude of the offer being presented to them as well. If Sasuke had been home, they wouldn’t have gotten any of the tomatoes. Ah, an opportunity to eat up all the precious tomatoes which Naruto-sensei’s grumpy boyfriend guarded like gold - they would be <em> fools </em>to deny it! Jirou was many things - quiet, grumpy and “miserly,” as Sasuke of all people had commented - but he was no fool.</p><p>One decisive nod. He reached out his hand to shake it with Naruto’s. “Pleasure doing business with you as always, sensei.” Behind him, Itsuka and Ryuko were already assuming positions, heading towards the box of tools which they’d need to till the soil.</p><p>Little shithead. As if he wouldn’t have stayed even if Naruto had paid him mere dust. In fact, just for that…</p><p>Naruto channeled his best Kakashi-sensei, years of being infuriated with the man finally bearing fruit. “Oh my cute little genin! Where are you going?”</p><p>It was really <em> so cute, </em>how they all froze as one, identical looks of horror dawning upon their faces. No wonder Kaka-sensei liked doing this so much. </p><p>“It’s nice that you’re all so eager to get going on the repotting, but before that….” Naruto dug a scroll out from his belt and swiped a single chakra-laden finger over it, “...we have to give the soil a little love.” </p><p>The Yakamana’s only stocked the best fertilizer, Ino had proclaimed so many times. Naruto would vouch for its quality any day - even though the river-soil had already been rich, he had no doubt that it had aided all the garden’s inhabitants in flourishing. </p><p>It was, unfortunately, also the most <em> stinky </em>liquid, so much so that Sasuke frankly refused to be in Naruto’s vicinity after he used it. Already, Ryuko’s Inuzuka trained nose was overwhelming her, her face turning green under the stench. Jirou and Itsuka weren’t doing any better. Idly, Naruto wondered if he was perhaps being too mean before he remembered that when he was this old, Ero-Senin had thrown him off a cliff. </p><p>As it was, Jirou already had things in hand - handing out the thickest of the rags he had in his hand to Ryuko. “We knew you’d do this, shitty sensei,” Itsuka grumbled, tying her own cloth over her nose. They grumbled and whined, but they were <em> here, </em> and they would <em> stay </em>- would voluntarily accompany Naruto throughout hours of labor in the mud and dirt. </p><p><em> “I’ve only had my genin team for one week,” </em> Naruto remembered telling Sasuke in bed, <em> “but if anything happened to them I’d kill everyone in this world and then myself.” </em> Sasuke’s response then had been to lazily shove Naruto’s medicines in his mouth before turning around and falling asleep again but nearly a year later now, Naruto knew the other was just as attached to these kids as he was.</p><p>He was brought out of his reflection by a familiar voice. “Yo! Putting your brats hard at work, huh Naruto?”</p><p>Kakashi-sensei always tried hard to be so cool, so Naruto didn’t have the heart to tell him how  ridiculous he looked perched up in that tree, dressed in Hokage robes using the respected hat to shield himself from the sun as he gripped that familiar orange book. “Tsunade-baba is going to kill you if she sees what you’re using that hat for.”</p><p>Kakashi-sensei froze, putting the book down with an awkward laugh. “Haha, of course. I would never desecrate the honored veil in this manner. What are you talking about, Naruto?”</p><p>Naruto raised an eyebrow. “Sure, Kaka-sensei.”</p><p>Kakashi-sensei jumped down from the tree to stand next to Naruto, still in the shade. He grasped for a change in topic, far too aware of how the genin behind Naruto had paused in their work to stare at him with squinty eyes. If Shizune got one more complaint of him reading porn in front of impressionable children while on the clock….if she told <em> Tsunade </em>about those complaints…</p><p>Fortunately, Naruto took pity on his poor soul. “So, what brings you around these neck of the woods, sensei?”</p><p>The other man was quick to grasp onto the anchor offered. “Ahaha, I was just taking some time off. Speaking of which, wasn’t today supposed to be an off day for you?” he asked, looking at the genin now loudly arguing over the correct fertilizer-to-water ratio. </p><p>Naruto hummed an affirmative. “You know how it is, sensei. A good ninja’s job is never done!”</p><p>“Boo! You just want free labor!” Ryuko piped up.</p><p>“Hey! Stop slandering me in front of company! I’m risking life and limb to pay you guys in food!” Ryuko just stuck out a tongue at him and got back to work. Naruto watched her, exasperated. “Honestly, these guys,” he complained to the older man. “If Sasuke knew I was giving away his precious stash he’d uproot the entire house all over again.”</p><p>Kakashi-sensei huffed in laughter. “Let’s try to avoid that as much as possible. But anyway, speaking of Sasuke, where <em> is </em>he right now?”</p><p>“Hmm? Wait, sensei - Jirou, turn down the water intensity! Do you <em> want </em>to drown all the worms out?! Honestly!” Rolling his eyes, he turned back to where Kakashi-sensei was standing, still waiting for an answer. “Sorry, what was that again?”</p><p>“Hmm?” Kakashi-sensei snapped out of whatever trance he had fallen into as he had watched Team 9 work together on the field. “Oh, yes. I was asking about Sasuke.”</p><p>“Ah!” Naruto’s expression brightened. “We visited town earlier, so he said he ran out of his people-interaction quota for the day. He’s in the shrine, reading up on some of the older texts.”</p><p>“Ah, I see,” Kakashi-sensei replied. </p><p>Naruto cocked his head at the lackluster response. “Why were you asking for him, though? Did you want to talk to him?”</p><p>Kaka-sensei hummed. “Not really. I just figured that - superior to subordinate - I should remind him of his circumstances once again.”</p><p>A cool wind cut through the otherwise groggy day, shaking the leaves of the tree they were standing under. Naruto heard them rustle and watched their shadows shake on the ground, preparing himself for their own version of a song-and-dance.</p><p>Kaka-sensei sounded very serious when he spoke, but Naruto had known the man long enough to recognize his “I’m-sleeping-through-a-debriefing” voice. “After all, Konoha has been extraordinarily generous with him by allowing him to remain in the village, despite his many attempts at violence against the village and its shinobi. <em> Especially </em>after the little runaway act you both pulled immediately after the war.”</p><p>Naruto had the decency to look sheepish at the one-eyed glare directed at him, genuine this time.</p><p>“Honestly, the two of you,” Kakashi-sensei sighed. “All things considered, a house arrest is just a slap on the wrist.” </p><p>Naruto wanted to intercede. It was more than just a house arrest, really. It was the idea that Sasuke would be trapped inside the village which had been the center of his torment - that he would have to live inside its walls for years on end without being able to even lift a single hand in defence lest it be seen as an act of aggression. Living with Sasuke nowadays was a study in the strange art of role-reversals - this time, it was Naruto’s turn to walk beside someone in public and protect them from the Big Bad Public Opinion. But Kaka-sensei looked at him as if he knew what Naruto wanted to say (he probably did, the strange old man) and Naruto had <em> learnt </em>how to pick his battles by now. </p><p>Besides. Him and Sasuke - they had this entire situation under control.</p><p>So instead, Naruto smiled. “I’ll be sure to remind him!” he said brightly. “He’ll be happy to know you were so concerned about us, Kaka-sensei.”</p><p>Kakashi-sensei’s eye softened - maybe at the nickname, maybe at the very mention of Sasuke’s happiness, who knew. He always <em> did </em> favor the bastard over them, no matter what he protested later. That was ok. That kind of attention, those sorts of hopes - that was what Sasuke as a genin deserved and needed. Naruto knew this now. </p><p>How many nights had he woken up to a cold bed and plodded over to find Sasuke in the living room, quietly drinking tea with Kaka-sensei, the shadows of that night’s dreams fresh under his eyes? No matter what happened, what their situation was, Kakashi-sensei was always on their side. </p><p>...which is why Naruto just had to warn him of what was coming.</p><p>“Kaka-sensei,” he kept his voice pitched low. There was no reason to involve the kids into these sorts of messes. “I should tell you something too - subordinate to superior.”</p><p>Kakashi-sensei cocked his head and didn’t say a word. That strange wind blew again.</p><p>“If...there’s some sort of problem….say - explosions - near Amegakure….well. I would just be prepared. I heard a whisper that the Daimyo won’t be very happy today - probably drank some bad milk and got indigestion or something.”</p><p>Kakashi-sensei instantly caught on to what was being said. The sharpness in his posture melted away, replaced by mock-despair. He rolled his eyes up to the sky. <em> “All my white hair, Naruto. All of it.” </em></p><p> </p><p>
  <b> <em>1.</em> </b>
</p><p>
  <em> Before the war fully began, sometime after the village was just beginning to rebuild itself from Nagato’s attack, Kakashi-sensei gave Naruto a folder full of his parents’ images. He had only been able to properly examine it a few times, given the hectic nature of events happening all around him - but the times he did, he was mesmerized.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> He had looked first at the pictures, then at himself, over and over and over again. And yeah, he could see it now. He had his dad’s colors, but his eyes were more rounded, like mom’s. Dad’s darker skin combined with mom’s cheeks. Dad’s nose and below that, lips which stretched into mom’s wide smile.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> In every picture - they looked so...happy. So full of life. Naruto closed his eyes and imagined himself growing up in a world with them. What kind of life would that have been? If this was what Sasuke had held and lost.... </em>
</p><p><em> There was one image in particular that he kept coming back to. It was one which only had his father - standing next to his team. Tiny Kaka-sensei (and wasn’t </em> <b> <em>that </em> </b> <em> the weirdest sight, Naruto always thought that Kaka-sensei sprung up from the ground a fully-formed old man) and the person who he now knew to be a tiny Uchiha Obito were arguing. Obito’s hand was fisted into the front of Kakashi-sensei’s shirt and besides them, Nohara Rin had her hands spread out, as if trying to calm them down. Dad stood behind them, watching them with dead eyes and a small smile that sent shivers down Naruto’s back.  </em></p><p><em> On the back of the photo, Mom had written: </em> <b> <em>Team Minato’s first portrait session, T-1 minute before Mount Minato erupted.</em> </b></p><p>
  <em> It was weird because Dad had done a lot of badass stuff, Naruto knew. He had played the key role in turning the tide against Iwa in the Third Shinobi War. He had risen to the position of Hokage from nothingness amongst the legions of powerful clan-backed shinobi who had existed in Konoha. Still….he hadn’t realized until he saw that photo: Dad was...kinda scary. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> And when Naruto menaced Sai into letting him go to Sasuke’s hospital room during the other’s guard duty, he realized: he was getting kinda scary too.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> He chose to go at night. Sai went with him all the way to the door and then elected to stay outside. “I don’t want to interrupt your homoerotic bonding,” the bastard said with a glib smile. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Go find a ditch and bury yourself into it,” Naruto said in thanks.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Sasuke was lying on the bed, single hand chained to the railing in a pathetic attempt at keeping him contained. It felt strange to see him in the hospital clothes. Cleansed of the grime and blood, he looked at once younger and older than he really was.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> His eyes were closed. Naruto kicked the wheeled leg of the bed in greeting. “Good to see you’re alive, bastard. Stop playing dead, that only works when the actual frogs and snakes do it.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Sasuke opened his eyes only minimally and stared at the ceiling in a deadpan. “I was trying to actually kill myself,” he replied. “You interrupted my prayer to the sky gods to send a rock down and end this torture once and for all.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Naruto snorted. “You’ll live.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Sasuke sighed quietly. “Unfortunately,” he said, beginning to push himself up with one hand. “My peace and quiet on the other hand…” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Oh shut up. You love me.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Naruto moved to shut the door behind him, and Sasuke took the precious seconds he had his back turned to school his expression. How was he supposed to react to that? ‘Yes, actually I do. Are you just noticing this?’  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> If there was anything the Uchihas had mastered more than complex trauma and property damage, it was control over their emotions - which, frankly, was the only reason Sasuke was able to look at Naruto with a straight face after that statement.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Sasuke looked at Naruto. Naruto looked back at him. Sasuke was reminded suddenly and violently of those stupid cheesy movies which Naruto used to sob over and the two minute silence which everyone in the theatre would be treated to before the main couple would start making out. He took that thought and all the emotions it inspired and, with practiced skill, crushed it into tiny pieces. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “So,” Naruto began. He paused, suddenly cutting himself off before beginning again. “So.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> This was painful. Sasuke had taken a vow of silence since he had woken up but such vows, especially with regards to him, were always meant to be broken when Naruto came up. “You took your own sweet time waking up,” he said. “Having nice dreams there, loser?” </em>
</p><p><em> “Yeah, I had one in which you weren’t a complete </em> <b> <em>jerk</em> </b> <em> and then I realized that the real world couldn’t possibly be that kind,” Naruto bit back in reflex, “so I woke up.” </em></p><p>
  <em> “Heh. Konoha will be glad to know they can bill their hero’s awakening directly to me.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Oh they want to bill you with a bunch of stuff alright,” Naruto murmured.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Sasuke scoffed. “As if they haven’t been doing that for the past decade already." The corner of his lips quirked up. "It’s actually getting funny at this point; I'm their own personal whipping boy.”  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Naruto felt unfamiliar irritation come upon him, although he couldn’t tell what exactly was inspiring it. “This isn’t a joke, Sasuke. I’m serious. Iruka-sensei said -” </em>
</p><p><em> “- there’s a cell and a straightjacket with my name on it. I know. He told me too.” Sasuke </em> <b> <em>smiled, </em> </b> <em> that stupid sardonic smirk that always made Naruto want to punch his teeth in. “Well. What did you expect to happen when you dragged me back with your teeth, huh?” </em></p><p><em> No matter what Danzo had done - no matter the blood on his hands - he had still been Konoha’s Hokage and Sasuke had still cut him down. Konoha, just like every other village, protected their own - and Sasuke had left their name behind years ago. Even besides that - Itachi, Shusui, Obito, Father, </em> <b> <em>Mother - </em> </b> <em> the Uchiha had never been fully Konoha’s in the first place.  </em></p><p>
  <em> Naruto gritted his teeth and stalked closer, sitting at the edge of Sasuke’s bed. When he found out the full story of the Uchiha Massacre, he had thought about letting Sasuke go. Wondered if Sasuke would be better out there, away from the village which had taken so much from him. Was he being selfish in wanting Sasuke to come home? Did Sasuke even think of Konoha as home in the first place? Probably not, if he was able to cast it away so easily. Probably not, when it’s very existence had cost him so much.  </em>
</p><p><em> But even away from Konoha, Sasuke never seemed to be at peace. Naruto would hear of his exploits - how he took out in anger on the world as if that would fix anything, as if it would undo all the pain which both of them had been forced to shoulder - and realized that it wasn’t that he wanted Sasuke </em> <b> <em>home. </em> </b> <em> He just wanted Sasuke by his side again - somewhere where Naruto could watch his back and not have to wonder if this messenger bird, finally, would bring the news of his corpse rotting without anyone to burn it.  </em></p><p>
  <em> He wanted to tell Sasuke all this, wanted to put it in words. Instead, he said, “How’s the arm doing?” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Sasuke glanced at the loose sleeve which hung over the area which should have been flesh. He rolled his shoulder, “Good enough, considering. They thought that they’d have to take away more of the flesh to properly deal it with but Sakura’s….really good.” </em>
</p><p><em> Naruto grinned. It was a reflex, really, for whenever someone recognized Sakura’s efforts. “She is, isn’t she?” A thought struck him and a scowl came on his face, “Which is why your rude ass has to apologize to her - properly! Do you know how much shit you put her through while you were prancing off playing ‘let’s pile up S-rank bounty crimes’ in the wild? And Kaka-sensei too - he was </em> <b> <em>trying </em> </b> <em> to mentor you and then you ditched him to play house with the snake-faced creep.” </em></p><p>
  <em> “Naruto.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “What?!” Naruto snapped back, irritated at the interruption. Seriously, he was on a roll there! </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “I’m sorry.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Damn right you should - wait, what.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Sasuke huffed a laugh at the dumbstruck expression on the blonde’s face. With infinite carefulness, he reached out and tucked a strand of loose hair behind Naruto’s ear, but found that the chain on his wrist only let him go so far. Still he moved to another target, watching with soft eyes at the other let him thumb one cheek scar without flinching.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Naruto, Sasuke thought, was probably the only person who would still have the loose canon that was Uchiha Sasuke so close and not worry for his life. The idiot.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “I hurt you a lot, these past few years - even though… you were the last person I wanted to hurt,” Sasuke let his hand drop. “I’m sorry.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Naruto’s brain shut down and stuttered to a re-start. “How hard did I hit your head in our last fight.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Just take the apology, fuckhead.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Sasuke lay back down on the bed, moving just enough to allow Naruto to lie down next to him. As Naruto shuffled into place, he stared at the ceiling and thought - like this, Sasuke next to him, the both of them tired and squabbling - it really was like going back to their genin years all over again. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> ...expect it wasn’t, not really. The ache in their bones wasn’t from a good day’s training. They weren’t lying down with a certain surety - that they would wake up, that they would see each other again the next day. They had torn each other’s hands off in trying to reach for each other - and now they had to find new methods of keeping one-another close. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Sasuke’s head bumped against his. “I can hear your brain cells screaming for the sweet release of oblivion from here,” he said. “Stop torturing yourself.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Is that bastard for ‘tell me what you’re worried about,’ that I hear? Wow Sasuke, thank you for your concern Sasuke.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Naruto. Just say it.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Naruto sighed. Shifting to rest upon his side was a weird thing now, with his arm like this, but it had to be done. This close, he could see every blemish on Sasuke’s stupidly perfect face, every scar that they had left on each other reflected in his eyes. “What are you going to do now?” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> They knew each other too well for Sasuke to not understand what Naruto meant. “Endure,” he replied. “Try to be graceful in that endurance. Konoha won’t do anything drastic to me, what with my aid in the war being one of the main reasons we won. I’ve survived much worse than a few years in some prison.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Naruto bit his lip. “Will it really just be a few years?” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Sasuke fell silent. Who was he to predict how Konoha would treat their Uchiha now? “I don’t know what else to do.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Sasuke,” Naruto’s voice was urgent, hurried. The hand that he laid on Sasuke’s cheek was infinitely more calloused than the small palms that used to reach to pull him up when he collapsed on the training grounds so many years ago. Sasuke wanted to turn towards it and bury himself in. “Sasuke, listen.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Sasuke breathed out. “I am.” </em>
</p><p><em> “When I wanted you back home...it was because I was scared. At first, I was scared of losing you - that you’d cut our bond and leave me behind entirely, that I’d be alone again. But then...Sasuke, I was scared </em> <b> <em>for </em> </b> <em> you. Every day, I awoke and slept and dreamt that you were gone. I...never want to feel that fear again.” </em></p><p>
  <em> Sasuke thought back to the terror that had coursed through his veins when he first heard that Itachi, the monster of his nightmares, was after Naruto. It had cut through the rage which normally engulfed him when he thought of his brother back then, and he had run all the way past Konoha to that inn on pure fear alone. “I don’t want you to feel that,” he said now to the boy next to him. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “But still....even above that...Sasuke, I don’t want to cage you. I don’t want you to be trapped.” </em>
</p><p><em> Uzumaki Naruto had spent his entire life being a cage. Uchiha Sasuke had spent his entire life </em> <b> <em>within </em> </b> <em> a cage. They were both a little doomed from the beginning, weren’t they? </em></p><p>
  <em> Sasuke swallowed the bile rising in his throat. When he spoke again, he dropped his voice down to match Naruto’s whisper. “Don’t be an idiot, idiot. I’m not going to leave you behind after all this. Besides, if I leave now, if I refuse to go to Konoha, what will happen? There are plenty of other people who I’ve pissed off, Naruto. If I’m going to choose between being hunted or being trapped, I’d rather the option where at least I have you.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Naruto’s eyes glimmered with tears, the fucking crybaby. “You shouldn’t have to choose between those two.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> All of a sudden, Sasuke felt exhausted. “Yeah, well. Do you have any other ideas for what we could do?” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> As Sasuke expected, Naruto fell silent. Good. Let the other boy fully realize the kind of situation they were in. This hell of Sasuke’s own making, this wasn’t anything Naruto’s love and punches were going to solve. He closed his eyes and turned to the ceiling, taking deep breaths, trying to calm the waves that had been stirred up in the course of this conversation again.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> In doing so, he missed Naruto staring at him, eyes wide open in shock and surprise. “We?” Naruto murmured, almost subconsciously. “Do you really think we’re in this together?” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Sasuke’s eyes snapped open again. Ah. He had implied that, hadn’t he? Oh well, too late to pretend otherwise now. “Like you’d let me live through this alone,” he said. “Now shut up and let me sleep.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Blissful silence. Sasuke inhaled then exhaled, counting his seconds by the rising and falling of his chest. He held no illusions - for all the mercy that Konoha may grant him, he would still be punished. Undoubtedly, they’d put him in a cell, let him go insane with no sound and no company. Sucked for them; if Sasuke had lived through all those years in that cursed compound with nothing but silent ghosts, he could survive whatever confinement they’d put him in.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> It was a small price to pay, in the end. For being able to live unhunted. For being to live next to Naruto, stupid, foolish Naruto, who demanded Sasuke’s apologies on behalf of everyone but himself.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> It had been Sasuke’s job, once, to make sure that Naruto’s share of apologies got delivered to him by rude villagers and shopkeepers alike. It was fine, he was sure that Sakura and the others had picked up his slack for all these years, but still... he couldn't deny the fact that he wanted to get back into the role. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “You know,” Naruto whispered, “Iruka-sensei always said that when we didn’t know what to do, we should take time off and go through our thought processes more thoroughly.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Sasuke’s eyebrows furrowed. “What?” He turned to Naruto and made a sufficiently weirded out noise at the excited expression he found on the other’s face. “What are you even saying?” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “I’m saying you’re not sure what we need to do,” Naruto said, “and I don’t know that either. So we should...take time off. Go to a quiet corner. And just - just think it through. Figure out how we’re both going to make this situation work.” </em>
</p><p><em> They always </em> <b> <em>had </em> </b> <em> been able to understand each other so well. “Konoha would kill me,” Sasuke said, dazed at the very audacity of what Naruto was proposing. “They would think that I kidnapped you.” </em></p><p>
  <em> “Kaka-sensei and Gaara and the others would cover for me if I ask them to,” Naruto said. To Sasuke’s horror, his tone grew more excited with every word he said as whatever crazy scenarios he was thinking of piled up in his mind. “We could say that we...went off to deal with something the Sage left us.They’re not going to deny me a vacation.” </em>
</p><p><em> “A vacation.” Was he </em> <b> <em>insane?</em> </b></p><p>
  <em> “With a friend!”  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “I’m a terrorist.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Terrorists can be friends. God Sasuke, don’t discriminate.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “You’re crazy,” Sasuke marveled. “Absolutely batshit insane.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Oh come on,” Naruto sat upright in his fervor, lone hand coming to hold Sasuke’s. “We can totally do this. Just for a few weeks. Besides, they have bigger things to worry about right now.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Like rebuilding their own village for one. Dealing with the wave of migrants that were coming from the towns-turned-battlefields in the Fourth War. Besides, if he was the most politically hated person in the world, then the person beside him was probably the most loved. God, Sasuke hated it, hated how Naruto always infected him with his crazy, but...as insane as it sounded, they could pull this off. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “No one else knows anything about the Sage,” he resigned. “If we say something… they won’t be able to contradict us.”  </em>
</p><p><em> Naruto </em> <b> <em>lit up </em> </b> <em> and Sasuke reflexively shut his eyes to avoid being blinded. “That’s the spirit!” he enthused. “I’ll leave a note for Sakura-chan and Tsunade-baba so they don’t come after us to murder us.” </em></p><p>
  <em> “I can’t believe this,” Sasuke murmured. Four and a half years of inter-village terrorism and somehow one conversation with Naruto had him doing the most insane thing he had ever done so far. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Naruto patted his back. “Cheer up, cheer up,” he laughed. “Aren’t you excited to finally get lost on the road of life with me?” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Sasuke looked at him, this crazy, insane boy that he sought like a hungry sunflower. There were so many fucking problems and questions with this plan: were they leaving immediately? Who was to say that Sakura herself wouldn’t descend upon them with the wrath of the gods themselves before they could even make it a mile? After their insane escapade was over - what then? Sasuke to his cell and Naruto to his tower? </em>
</p><p>
  <em> But still, he looked at Naruto. Naruto looked back. Sasuke thought about old cheesy movies, the warmth of Naruto’s touch on his skin and the adrenaline rush which he always felt after carrying on one of Naruto’s insane plans seamlessly. He thought about the Valley, that place they had left behind in a mess of blood and rubble, and about that split second where they both thought, ‘Ah, so this is where we meet our end.’ </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Naruto was the one who worried about other people, even then. Sasuke had been completely fine with just Naruto by his side. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Sasuke thought, ‘With you, I’d be happy to get lost in the wastes of the world.’ Maybe he already had.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Out loud he said, “Can you even write with that hand?” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Oh. Good point. Sai! Get in here you creep! I know you’re listening!” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “God - fuck - what’s the point of trying to make a plan if you’re just going to give everything up before we even execute it!” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Jeez Sasuke, calm your tits. Neither of us have any ink anyway, and besides, Sai knows better than to interfere in this, doesn’t he?” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Indeed, Naruto-kun. Do not fear, Uchiha-san, I would never interrupt your long overdue homoerotic spiritual honeymoon.” </em>
</p><p><em> “<strong>You. I'm going to kill you first.</strong></em> <b><em>”</em> </b></p><p> </p><p>
  <b>iv.</b>
</p><p>Naruto had lived alone long enough to not be bothered by the silence. He went through the routine of the evening - putting away the gardening supplies, waving the terrors goodbye, cleaning up after their mud-tracks, knowing full well how much Sasuke would bitch at him if he came home and stepped in one of the puddles. </p><p>Later, he ate dinner alone at the table, making sure to leave some of the herbed rice porridge which Ino had given him in the fridge for Sasuke when he came home later that night. When it was time for bed, he slid into the covers and immediately plucked the body on Sasuke’s side of the bed, hugging it to his chest in a suffocating embrace.</p><p>Sasuke went through the same thing every time Naruto went out of the village, he had to remind himself. Whenever he went out with Sakura for a special mission, if he ever took an external mission with his genin, whenever he went to visit Gaara for other diplomatic relations, Sasuke would stay in this house alone with ANBU watching his every step. Compared to that, Naruto lived an idyllic life. </p><p>“Boss,” his clone said, “you’re going to pop me before the bastard even comes back.”</p><p>“Oh, sorry,” Naruto let his grip go slack, watching his clone’s profile in the dim moonlight. He made a good Sasuke if he said so himself, but there were some things which he could never get right. The nose, slightly less sharper than it should be, more Uzumaki than Uchiha. The eyes too, rounder at the edges. The entire journey to the Yamanaka flower shop and back, the other had walked as if he had bundles of energy coiled under his skin - every twitch of his finger, every tap of his toes betraying Uchiha Sasuke’s predator-smooth walk. </p><p>“What did you even do in the shrine?” he asked the being in his arms. </p><p>“What else,” his clone snorted, “I went to sleep.” It had been weird, at first, to hear Sasuke’s voice and see Sasuke’s face on something so obviously <em> not </em>Sasuke, but Naruto had gotten used to it by now. “That place is so creepyyyy.”</p><p>Naruto freed one arm and bonked the other on the hand. “Be respectful.”</p><p>“Ow! Ok, this day has just been the <em> worst. </em>First, I get put on bastard duty and now I’m being abused?!”</p><p>“You’re so dramatic,” Naruto rolled his eyes. </p><p>“I’m <em> you,” </em> his clone retorted. </p><p>“Just. Shhh. Go to sleep. Some of us have had to do actual work this entire day, you know?”</p><p>“Until the bastard comes home and permanently puts me to sleep you mean,” his clone grumbled, but settled down once again. </p><p>Naruto counted breaths, one, then two. Sleep, then awaken. Sasuke would be beside him when he opened his eyes again. </p><p>Some two sleepless hours later, he felt the shape in his hands vanish in a soft <em> poof </em>of smoke. Eyes still closed, Naruto’s lips turned up in a smile. “You’re late,” he spoke.</p><p>The covers on the bed shifted as Sasuke’s body, cold from a day’s journey, slipped in next to him. “And you’re still awake,” the other remarked.</p><p>“Yeah well,” Naruto turned to face him, “maybe if <em> someone </em>had gotten home in time for dinner…”</p><p>The people whom Sasuke trusted enough to show such a vulnerable face could be counted on one hand. The person who he would smile at in such a manner was <em> only </em>Naruto, would only ever be Naruto. Maybe it was selfish to be so happy about that fact but - sue him. Orphans like them always kept the few things they could call their own selfishly, possessively close to their heart, and no one had accused Naruto of ever growing up. </p><p>Naruto would challenge anyone in the Five Villages to resist the urge to pull Sasuke closer when he looked like <em> that. </em>Maybe there was some monster out there who could but Naruto didn’t not possess that strength. It was only natural to hook a hand behind Sasuke’s head and pull him in. Where once they had been a mess of teeth and gums, now their lips locked together, moving against each other with ease. Sasuke put a hand on Naruto’s waist and pulled them flush against each other.</p><p>“How was Ame?” Naruto whispered against Sasuke’s lips.</p><p>“Good.” <em> Kiss. </em>“Wet.”</p><p>Naruto laughed. “That <em> is </em>kind of their job description, you know?” This close, he could feel the smile on Sasuke’s lips; the thought made him press back against them in another kiss. </p><p>“The new leader is smart,” Sasuke murmured, “she has a good head on her shoulders, not to mention she inherited Konan and Nagato’s information networks. Suigestu had already been laying out in the Land of Rivers, so when the Daimyo tried to send his forces to Ame through there, we were able to deal with them with minimal casualties on our side.”</p><p>“And on theirs?”</p><p>Sasuke fell silent. “I...ended up having to strain myself a bit,” he admitted. “Got caught by surprise.”</p><p>“What?!” Naruto’s voice raised. He reached out to lay a palm on Sasuke’s cheek, moving the hair which obscured his eye aside in quick motions. “Does it hurt?”</p><p>Sasuke shook his head, gentle enough that he didn’t detach the touch. “No. It was only for a second, don’t worry.”</p><p>Naruto <em> tsk </em>-ed. “We’ve invited Sakura over for tomorrow,” he told the other man. “She’s going to want to check up on you again.”</p><p>“Oh, did you visit her today?” Sasuke pulled the bedcovers over the both of them.</p><p>“Nah, I visited the shop. Ino wanted to give me the new supplies now that the summer growing season is starting. Oh, did you see -”</p><p>“- the soup in the fridge? Yeah. Remind me to thank Sakura when she comes over tomorrow.”</p><p>“Mmn, will do.” Naruto shivered as he trapped one cold foot between his own, relinquishing some body warmth to rub the ice-cubes called feet that Sasuke brought into bed every day. “Oh, Kaka-sensei also came. He said to be careful. People are on edge - you know, especially with unknown rogue ninja roaming the lands, spoiling invasions and power-grabs,” he teased.</p><p>Sasuke’s laughter made his entire chest vibrate. “I hope he wasn’t accusing me of anything. I was too busy being a good house-arrested Uchiha and -”</p><p>“- helping me shop for new support nets,” Naruto rattled off the actions of his clone throughout the day. “And then you spent the rest of the time in the shrine doing spooky Uchiha stuff.”</p><p>“Hmm, good to know.”</p><p>As they fell silent, Naruto found himself counting breaths again. Sasuke’s hand came to rest on his chest, tracking the rise and fall. “The kids came around to help me today. We were able to get a lot of stuff done - I repotted the cherry tomatoes and set the support cages around them.”</p><p>“I saw,” Sasuke said. “I <em> also </em>saw that all the leftover tomatoes from last week’s haul had mysteriously disappeared. But I suppose you don’t know anything about that?”</p><p>Naruto sniffed. “The standard genin D-Rank pay is between five thousand to fifty thousand ryo, for your information,” he replied, mock-haughty. “The future Hokage can’t be caught employing unpaid labor.”</p><p>Sasuke sighed, sounding very put upon. “Alright, alright,” he said, “I’ll just pluck the new ones when they grow.” Suddenly, he smiled. “We’ve come full circle, haven’t we? You grow things in the soil. I pick them out.”</p><p>Naruto’s eyebrows furrowed. “That makes no sense,” he declared, the faintest tinge of drowsiness slurring his words. “You’re not going to be plucking out the whole plant, and if you didn’t pick them they’d just rot on the stem.” One heavy hand came up to pat Sasuke’s cheek. “Stick to the ninja business, bastard,” he advised, “it’s too late to get into philosophy.”</p><p>The breath let out by Sasuke’s laughter tickled the hairs at the back of his neck. Naruto considered them as they were right now, so close together that they practically fused at the seams, and felt a tidal wave of affection wash over until it drowned him in its wave. </p><p>Helpless, he pressed a kiss on Sasuke’s neck and relished in the shiver it elicited. “Welcome home, bastard,” he murmured.</p><p>Sasuke closed his eyes and breathed. “I’m home, loser.”</p><p>Tomorrow’s sunrise was one they’d face together.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b> <em>0.</em> </b>
</p><p>
  <em> Three weeks after the uproar created by the sudden disappearance of the most influential pair to fight in the Fourth Ninja War, two dusty figures walked down a familiar path to a village where they would create a new home. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>What happened next is a story for another time.<br/></em>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>- basic gist of the confusing stuff: postwar sasuke was going to go to jail. instead naruto kidnapped him to go on a vacation through the woods and when they came back sasuke agreed to live in "house-arrest" with naruto by his side to make sure he wouldn't do more nefarious stuff. flash-forward some years, naruto makes shadow clones and henges them into sasuke while sasuke is out and about doing Uchiha Arson (tm) and foiling the plots of annoying power hungry leaders across the ninja world.<br/>- the title is from when i used to work at a farm and everyone used to call the vine plants "sun-seekers"<br/>- i wrote this while listening to the banners' <i><a href="https://youtu.be/U5wjOYg3SJQ">ghost</a></i> on repeat and crying the entire time</p><p>- i'm on <a href="https://twitter.com/dazaiverse/status/1263156436957310976">twitter</a> where i'll be posting all the stuff i couldn't fit into this</p></blockquote></div></div>
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